Biggio enjoys his big night

HOUSTON -- Craig Biggio was exhausted and ready to talk about his latest accomplishment. He still had some time for an old friend, though.

"Hey Frankie, how you doing," he said nodding to a slight teenager with a mop of dark hair.

Biggio joined the 3,000 hit club and Carlos Lee hit a grand slam in the 11th inning as the Houston Astros beat the Colorado Rockies 8-5 Thursday night.

Biggio met the 15-year-old Frankie Velasquez through his work with The Sunshine Kids Foundation, an organization which helps children with cancer, when Velasquez was 6 and has kept in touch with him since.

"He's one of a kind," Velasquez said.

Biggio singled in the 11th for just his second career five-hit game.

Biggio became the first player to reach 3,000 in a five-hit game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

"I think it was the way it was supposed to be done," Biggio said as he choked back tears. "That was a special atmosphere that was out there today."

Biggio became the 27th player to reach the mark with his single to center in the seventh inning. The second baseman was thrown out trying to stretch the play into a double on his third hit of the night, which tied the game at 1.

"I couldn't have scripted it any better," Biggio said. "There are a lot of things that have happened over the past 20 years but tonight is the best."

Fireworks went off, the counter in left-center field with red illuminated numbers ticked to 3,000 and a giant banner with Biggio's picture and "3,000" that spanned from the train track to the roof of the stadium was unveiled after the hit.

He dragged Jeff Bagwell, a teammate for 15 seasons, onto the field after reaching the mark.